On Thursday June 1st, we hosted our fourth annual Gala –at the GCTC. We loved welcoming donors, foodies, volunteers, Board Members, community supporters and some neighbours were thrilled to attend thanks to some tickets that were donated. Our goal was to raise $20,000 which would pay for two months of our summer grocery bills.
We were thrilled with the generosity of everyone who attended and are very excited to announce that we raised $23,000! Our shelves will be stocked over the summer months when we typically struggle to keep up with demand when many of our donors are away on summer vacations.
We couldn’t put on the event without the amazing generosity of our food providers. Food was graciously donated by Absinthe, Allium, Bar Laurel, DISH, Holland’s Cake & Shake, Supply and Demand, Stella Luna Gelato, Thyme & Again, and Urban Element. Folks were raving about the food all night and loved interacting with the chefs at the various stations.
Thanks to Beyond the Pale for donating the beer and Jeff Hill from BMO Nesbitt Burns for being our wine sponsor. A special thanks to Sheila Whyte for donating a crew of amazing servers from Thyme & Again which kept the evening flowing perfectly.
The Peptides blew us away with their energy and amazing music. People enjoyed hitting the dance floor and partying to welcome summer!
The Silent Auction tables upstairs and downstairs were busy with amazing prizes. Bidding was fierce! We were thrilled with the generosity of local business owners who provided great prizes to help us meet our fundraising target. The hottest prize of the night went to the custom designed barn-board dining table which was so popular we sold it twice! Other great prizes included donations from Thyme & Again, Uproar Paint and Paper, and Oresta Organics were just a few of the generous donors who provided prizes for the auction. We had many happy prize winners at the end of the night and a few folks regretting they hadn’t placed that last bid in time! We’ve been requested to have an airhorn for next year to warn people when the final bids need to be in!
13: A Social Enterprise, youth entrepreneurs were sharing samples of their new spice mixes. This year’s cohort is close to wrapping up their year and we were bursting with pride to see their confidence in sharing with folks what the program has meant to them. Our community helpers from Fisher Park Summit were there to greet folks at the door and share their experiences with our Growing Futures program and making pesto which some lucky guests got as a Thank you gift. These helpers volunteer regularly at our Centre and truly understand the various programs we offer our neighbours.
This is our largest fundraiser of the year. The supporters are many but the need remains. We feel the community support. Thanks to all of you for letting us raise the funds we need to support your neighbours.
Until next year!
Photos by JR Photography
